Northern Ireland Railways

NIR logo

History: Summary

Rolling stock: Locos 101-3 from Hunslet/BREL in 1970 (Mks.Nos. 7197-9).
Works: York Rd. NIR have now built a large, new servicing depot, taking in the site of the old York Road station, "replaced" by the nearby Yorkgate station on the new cross-Lagan line.
Livery: Railcars maroon, loco stock remained UTA green. Locos black with several 2-6-4Ts acquiring NIR symbol on tank sides. BREL MkIIc coaches bought in 1970-2 had navy blue maroon livery. Enterprise stock maroon lower panels, white band, deep blue upper panels. Enterprise locos maroon with yellow V front, brass nameplates, painted nos., NIR symbol on sides. In 1981 the new GM diesel electrics 111-2 'Great Northern' and 'Northern Counties' were painted sky blue with large white NIR logo, red reflective stripes just below headlights. Large brass nameplates were mounted near the cab. Coaching stock was silver blue grey, already adopted in 1978 for the Enterprise (silver grey with a Prussian blue band at window level and narrow stripes of white, black, white and yellow below. The front of cab had a blue rectangle surrounding windows with a yellow rectangle below the tail lights. The logo was slanted). In 1981 variations noted in 80 class railcars included diamonds with or without NIR symbol and 64 retained ex UTA red and cream. A new Intercity livery was adopted in 1989 - engines were deep medium blue with yellow end panels and red buffer beams. Logo was white and slanted. Suburban stock was in red and cream livery from 1989.
Staff:
Signalling: Absolute block working on double lines of NCC and Bangor line, Tyer's instruments. On Bangor line and Belfast-Bleach Green the no. of block posts reduced and automatic signals were in use by 1967. On former NCC single lines Electric Tablet working was standard in 1967. In 1985 NIR had Central Signal Control to control line from Bangor to Portadown. Belfast controlled the Larne line to Whiteabbey (in 1985 to be extended to Larne Harbour). On single line sections control is by Electric Train Tablets or Key Tokens except between Ballymoney and Coleraine - tokenless block, and Lisburn and Antrim - Track Circuit Block.
Tickets: Since 1969 ALMEX ticket machines. Since 1989 PORTIS system.

Further reading:O.Doyle and S.Hirsch Railway Lines of CIE and NIR.

Internet: Official data available from NIR site . For a good treatment, see Steve Johnson on history of the NIR.

Coat of Arms

See above for original logo. Later slanted one had a break between the upright 'I' and the upper horizontal bar of 'R'.

Rolling Stock railwayana

Locomotive nameplates:

NIR Nameplate

Works & tenderplates:

Lineside and station railwayana

Footbridge:

Bridge Restriction:

Bridge Numbers:

Trespass:

Station:

NIR running-in board. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison. (full image 6K)
Edmond comments 'A Running in Board in early NIR dark red and white colours from the old Larne Town station.'

Mileposts:

Railchair:

Signalling:

Cutlery, china, ashtrays etc.:

NIR 24cm Dunn Bennett dinner plate dated '1.70'. Source: ebay506 (full image 10K or obverse)

Timetables, posters etc.:

NIR working time table. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison. (full image 15K)

NIR public time table. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison. (full image 18K)

NIR booklet 1969. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison. (full image 13K)

NIR booklet 1971. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison. (full image 11K)

NIR poster. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison. (full image 19K)
Edmund comments 'NIR poster of a Class 70 demu at Downhill from the late 1960s. There were two versions of this poster, one for use in Ireland and another, with a reference to British Rail sea routes as depicted here, for overseas use.'

Miscellaneous:

NIR driver's or shunter's, early (blue) issue. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison. (full image 6K)

NIR signalman's cap, first (charcoal) issue. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison. (full image 8K)

NIR badge

NIR first issue cap badge. Source: E.N.Calvert-Harrison (full image 15K)

North of Ireland: not elsewhere specified

Belfast Steamship Co.

BSCo. poster. Source: SRA698
Belfast-Heysham poster poster. Source: KRA1000

Harland & Wolff makers - ex-LMS 'Circe'. Source: KRA101

Return to Index page, or go to Northern page 4, Ulster Transport Authority.

Return to auction price data on original pages

For genealogy, go to my Lennan genealogy pages

Page posted 27/7/1997. Revised 19/5/06